William Dean Howells was an advocate of realism in writing; he believed that literary art should reflect the reality of the common man and demonstrate the truth about everyday current issues. He believed in truthful scripture and he accepted very few things literally. He practiced this belief in his own writings, and his story titled “Editha” is a good example. In this ironic tragedy, WD Howells shows the truth and nature of war. It uses a combination of metaphorical characters, irony, and pathetic appeal to create an almost grotesque parody of the reality of war. Ultimately, Howells succeeds in highlighting the consequences of war and making the public question the wisdom of those who advocate armed conflict. “Editha” is the story of a manipulative woman named Editha Balcom and her suitor, George Gearson. The plot of this story centers around a war and whether or not George participates in combat. He is conflicted between his pacifist nature and social conditioning and what he knows Editha wants him to do. Editha is determined that George will fight in the war, even if she has to manipulate him into doing so. George joins the fighting and is immediately killed. At the end of the story, Editha visits George's grieving mother and is met with resentment and contempt. In order to appeal to a resistant audience and appeal to their emotions, Howells uses the character Editha as a metaphor for the warmongers of her time. He intentionally portrays Editha in a subtly predatory light to influence the reader's opinion of the war's supporters and the war itself. Editha is manipulative, selfish, and delusional in her deep-rooted sense of personal power. Her motivations for wanting George to join the battlefield... middle of paper ... his warmongers will react to the destruction of war in the same way as Editha. They will seek to justify their actions after many sacrificed their lives to prove their dedication to the country and the surviving families will be left to pray to a peaceful God. In conclusion, WD Howells succeeds in using these methods of argumentation. “Editha” paints a clear picture of the men who must fight and the people who casually call for war. He proves that Editha's motives are unworthy of devotion. After all, it is easy to stand by and call for war when it is the common soldiers who will die to afford this luxury. In the end, Howells made his point clear. War never comes without sacrifice and consequences. Works Cited Howells, W.D. “Editha.” The Health Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter et al. Ed. concise. Boston: Houghton, 2004. 1445-1454. Print.